THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez

Written by - Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez

Starring - Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard

"The sensational commercial success of The Blair Witch Project arguably took away a lot of the credit from the film's ingeniousness in creating a truly chilling atmosphere that ties in traditional horror elements, folklore and a style that echoes video art as well as low budget shock fests. 

Its story is composed of 'found footage' of three young film students who set uoff on a witch hunt to a place that has been linked to murders and mysterious occurrences for over 200 years with the purpose of making a documentary project. The film documents their trip, which becomes more and more sinister as they get lost and walk around in circles in the haunted woods. 

Seemingly shot chronologically and in an amateurish handheld way, the actual structure of the film adds an air of imminent danger and unpredictability. The bare and minimal stylistic approach also enhances the feeling of disorientation and paranoia gradually takes over as the film progresses and is experienced by the actors, whose wide improvisation also adds shocking authenticity. But it also adds an element of frustration to the mysteries lurking in the woods, and this frustration makes the viewer feel fully included in the surreal and nightmarish series of events that unfold almost naturally on the screen. 

The creators of The Blair Witch Project, Daniel Myrick and Edoardo Sanchez also remarkably do not give into the genre's usual conventions, opting instead for a cohesive movie and never betraying their commitment to their original vision. There is no doubt about the impact that this film had not only on the horror genre but on cinema in general. There have been many similar films since then, and countless of examples that have attempted such a minimalistic approach. To this day, it is truly difficult to find one that is as terrifying and fundamentally credible as The Blair Witch Project."

Horror, USA